Sean McDermott excited about calling the Defense

[Sierra Foothills]

I know we discussed this previously in the context of Leslie Frazier not returning.

 

Most of that discussion was negative and there almost seemed a consensus that managing the game as a Head Coach and calling plays as a Coordinator were at cross-purposes with failure being the most likely outcome.

 

The other takeaway from that topic was the feeling that the departure of Frazier had to do with the fanbase losing patience and the need for McDermott to address that with greater involvement and accountability.

 

This article came out today:

 

https://www.buffalobills.com/news/sean-mcdermott-excited-about-calling-plays-middle-linebacker-competition-and-the

 

Is it possible that McDermott taking on play calling duties will be the catalyst that reinvigorates McDermott and the defense?

 

"I was excited yesterday to get in the room a little bit, that group, the defense, and kind of rolling up my sleeves and getting back to wearing that hat again. So I'm excited about it."

 

"It's part of how I got here," he said of calling plays. "So I just think you'll be in the defensive staff room, having those critical conversations that come up solving problems, trying to evolve where we need to evolve, and where the game is going. And then working hand in hand with our players. Again, that's been mostly the assistants to this point. Then together with the staff figuring some things out and it just feels good."

 

Personally I'm optimistic.

 

 

[78thealltimegreat]

12 minutes ago, Sierra Foothills said:

I know we discussed this previously in the context of Leslie Frazier not returning.

 

Most of that discussion was negative and there almost seemed a consensus that managing the game as a Head Coach and calling plays as a Coordinator were at cross-purposes with failure being the most likely outcome.

 

The other takeaway from that topic was the feeling that the departure of Frazier had to do with the fanbase losing patience and the need for McDermott to address that with greater involvement and accountability.

 

This article came out today:

 

https://www.buffalobills.com/news/sean-mcdermott-excited-about-calling-plays-middle-linebacker-competition-and-the

 

Is it possible that McDermott taking on play calling duties will be the catalyst that reinvigorates McDermott and the defense?

 

"I was excited yesterday to get in the room a little bit, that group, the defense, and kind of rolling up my sleeves and getting back to wearing that hat again. So I'm excited about it."

 

"It's part of how I got here," he said of calling plays. "So I just think you'll be in the defensive staff room, having those critical conversations that come up solving problems, trying to evolve where we need to evolve, and where the game is going. And then working hand in hand with our players. Again, that's been mostly the assistants to this point. Then together with the staff figuring some things out and it just feels good."

 

Personally I'm optimistic.

 

 

McDermott got the job cause he was one of the elite defensive minds in the league. The defense will be fine and probably be a bit more aggressive 

[Zag20]

It brings his tenure to crescendo and will cement his legacy as a Buffalo legend or merely a good HC that couldn’t quite make it to glory town.

[BringBackFergy]

Do you think Chiefs fans are concerned with Andy Reid calling offensive plays and acting as HC? We might be in good shape. 

[Solomon Grundy]

38 minutes ago, Sierra Foothills said:

I know we discussed this previously in the context of Leslie Frazier not returning.

 

Most of that discussion was negative and there almost seemed a consensus that managing the game as a Head Coach and calling plays as a Coordinator were at cross-purposes with failure being the most likely outcome.

 

The other takeaway from that topic was the feeling that the departure of Frazier had to do with the fanbase losing patience and the need for McDermott to address that with greater involvement and accountability.

 

This article came out today:

 

https://www.buffalobills.com/news/sean-mcdermott-excited-about-calling-plays-middle-linebacker-competition-and-the

 

Is it possible that McDermott taking on play calling duties will be the catalyst that reinvigorates McDermott and the defense?

 

"I was excited yesterday to get in the room a little bit, that group, the defense, and kind of rolling up my sleeves and getting back to wearing that hat again. So I'm excited about it."

 

"It's part of how I got here," he said of calling plays. "So I just think you'll be in the defensive staff room, having those critical conversations that come up solving problems, trying to evolve where we need to evolve, and where the game is going. And then working hand in hand with our players. Again, that's been mostly the assistants to this point. Then together with the staff figuring some things out and it just feels good."

 

Personally I'm optimistic.

 

 

His input with the defense should've been inserted all along. Maybe we wouldn't have had 13 seconds. Andy Reid knows when to attribute his knowledge to KCs offense. 

[Einstein]

This is the pivotal make or break moment of his career.

 

For many coaches, firing their coordinator and taking over play-calling is the last ditch effort before they are let go.

[Doc]

I have little doubt that they wanted to keep Frazier as a coach, but strip him of play-calling duties.  Hence he left.

[Patrick Duffy]

1 minute ago, Doc said:

I have little doubt that they wanted to keep Frazier as a coach, but strip him of play-calling duties.  Hence he left.

 

Anyone's guess about what exactly went down, but from what was made public it certainly seemed it was handled very respectfully by Bills. 

[MJS]

17 minutes ago, Einstein said:

This is the pivotal make or break moment of his career.

 

For many coaches, firing their coordinator and taking over play-calling is the last ditch effort before they are let go.

This isn't what happened.

[17islongenough]

I think he has called plays on defense for the Bills before. 

 

Every time he did I feel like the defense got better

[Sierra Foothills]

 

 

28 minutes ago, Einstein said:

This is the pivotal make or break moment of his career.

 

For many coaches, firing their coordinator and taking over play-calling is the last ditch effort before they are let go.

 

11 minutes ago, MJS said:

This isn't what happened.

 

You don't agree with Einstein above... would you agree with Zag below? Would you say that McDermott is on thinner ice than he was one year ago?

 

1 hour ago, Zag20 said:

It brings his tenure to crescendo and will cement his legacy as a Buffalo legend or merely a good HC that couldn’t quite make it to glory town.

[Kiva]

32 minutes ago, Einstein said:

This is the pivotal make or break moment of his career.

 

For many coaches, firing their coordinator and taking over play-calling is the last ditch effort before they are let go.

This is the year. Super Bowl or rebuild front office. We are at a crossroads and McD knows it. We have to reach our potential. 

[Einstein]

19 minutes ago, MJS said:

This isn't what happened.

 

Oh you bought the story that Frazier is just taking a year off?

[MJS]

6 minutes ago, Sierra Foothills said:

You don't agree with Einstein above... would you agree with Zag below? Would you say that McDermott is on thinner ice than he was one year ago?

The ice is still pretty thick.

[Doc]

38 minutes ago, Einstein said:

This is the pivotal make or break moment of his career.

 

For many coaches, firing their coordinator and taking over play-calling is the last ditch effort before they are let go.

 

If the team doesn't improve, yes.

[blacklabel]

All I know is when McD has taken over the play calls periodically during his tenure here, it feels like the defense plays with a bit more of an edge. It also seems like he's more willing to take risks and call some more unique things. 

 

I know it was out of necessity in 2020 when they had to switch things up defensively, but it looked like they were more in an attack mode rather than a "sit back and keep it in front of us" mode.

 

I think it's a needed change. Les Frazier is a great coach and the players love him. I just feel like he kind of hit his ceiling here. Didn't see a lot of different wrinkles or unique things from his defense over the years. And unfortunately, in the big moments, it really seems like he goes all deer in the headlights and things fall apart.

 

I'm looking forward to seeing what Sean can do. Should be interesting at the very least. 

[Sierra Foothills]

1 minute ago, blacklabel said:

All I know is when McD has taken over the play calls periodically during his tenure here, it feels like the defense plays with a bit more of an edge. It also seems like he's more willing to take risks and call some more unique things. 

 

I know it was out of necessity in 2020 when they had to switch things up defensively, but it looked like they were more in an attack mode rather than a "sit back and keep it in front of us" mode.

 

I think it's a needed change. Les Frazier is a great coach and the players love him. I just feel like he kind of hit his ceiling here. Didn't see a lot of different wrinkles or unique things from his defense over the years. And unfortunately, in the big moments, it really seems like he goes all deer in the headlights and things fall apart.

 

I'm looking forward to seeing what Sean can do. Should be interesting at the very least. 

 

Solid take.

 

Frazier was beloved and respected by his players but I believe that he was not feared.

 

Those who have studied human performance understand why fear is considered the most powerful motivator. They know that the most base human instinct is the survival instinct and that when elite athletes are confronted with fear, they fight to the death. The careers of the defensive players is now directly in the hands of their head coach, not their kindly defensive coordinator.

 

 

[John from Riverside]

I’m excited for him
 

I think that McDermotts defenses are much more aggressive

[Alphadawg7]

2 hours ago, Sierra Foothills said:

I know we discussed this previously in the context of Leslie Frazier not returning.

 

Most of that discussion was negative and there almost seemed a consensus that managing the game as a Head Coach and calling plays as a Coordinator were at cross-purposes with failure being the most likely outcome.

 

The other takeaway from that topic was the feeling that the departure of Frazier had to do with the fanbase losing patience and the need for McDermott to address that with greater involvement and accountability.

 

This article came out today:

 

https://www.buffalobills.com/news/sean-mcdermott-excited-about-calling-plays-middle-linebacker-competition-and-the

 

Is it possible that McDermott taking on play calling duties will be the catalyst that reinvigorates McDermott and the defense?

 

"I was excited yesterday to get in the room a little bit, that group, the defense, and kind of rolling up my sleeves and getting back to wearing that hat again. So I'm excited about it."

 

"It's part of how I got here," he said of calling plays. "So I just think you'll be in the defensive staff room, having those critical conversations that come up solving problems, trying to evolve where we need to evolve, and where the game is going. And then working hand in hand with our players. Again, that's been mostly the assistants to this point. Then together with the staff figuring some things out and it just feels good."

 

Personally I'm optimistic.

 

 

 

Wasnt negative from me, I almost threw a party to celebrate Frazier wasn't calling the defense this year.  That IMHO is best improvement to this team heading into 2023.  I have so much more excitement and confidence in McD calling the D than I did watching Fraziers playoff defense collapse and get abused year after year.  

 

I am quite excited to see McD call the D this year personally.  Maybe it works out, maybe it doesn't.  But it at least feels good to be doing something different than doing the same thing over and over again with Frazier that has been a disaster 3 straight playoff losses.  

[Buffalo716]

1 hour ago, 17islongenough said:

I think he has called plays on defense for the Bills before. 

 

Every time he did I feel like the defense got better

He did it once in 5 years

[GunnerBill]

8 hours ago, Einstein said:

 

Oh you bought the story that Frazier is just taking a year off?

 

He wasn't fired. He did step away. But he doesn't need to have been fired for your point to be true. When a HC takes over play calling it is usually make or break in whatever way it comes about. 

7 hours ago, Buffalo716 said:

He did it once in 5 years

 

Correct. But some of them will tell you because they saw McDermott holding a call sheet and talking into the headset when the Bills were on defense that he did it multiple times. 

[GunnerBill]

7 hours ago, John from Riverside said:

I’m excited for him
 

I think that McDermotts defenses are much more aggressive

 

I think we have to separate scheme from playcalling. I think the scheme will be very similar. But McD is a slightly more aggressive playcaller than Frazier. Within the confines of the same scheme I think McDermott is more likely to say "let's play pressure" than "let's play coverage." However, people can overplay the extent to which Leslie's defense was a "sit back" defense. They were 1st in QB pressure rate generated in 2021 and 14th in 2022. It's not like they were a bottom of the league group in that regard. 

[John from Riverside]

2 hours ago, GunnerBill said:

 

I think we have to separate scheme from playcalling. I think the scheme will be very similar. But McD is a slightly more aggressive playcaller than Frazier. Within the confines of the same scheme I think McDermott is more likely to say "let's play pressure" than "let's play coverage." However, people can overplay the extent to which Leslie's defense was a "sit back" defense. They were 1st in QB pressure rate generated in 2021 and 14th in 2022. It's not like they were a bottom of the league group in that regard. 

What in your opinion do you think caused them to go from First in QB pressure to 14th?

[colin]

9 hours ago, Buffalo716 said:

He did it once in 5 years

 

he did it once that was disclosed publicly.

 

I think he did it a few times.  the wind game in 2021 hosting NE (thursday night, monday?  it was prime time).  i remember the camera being close to our players and coach on the sidelines, and mcd looked like he was screaming and telling guys what they needed to do (after missed gaps lead to a longish touchdown).  after that the d stiffened up some and we had a shot late in the game.

 

i think he's done it a few times and what's more i think it lead to pretty immediate positive results. 

[GunnerBill]

12 minutes ago, colin said:

 

he did it once that was disclosed publicly.

 

I think he did it a few times.  the wind game in 2021 hosting NE (thursday night, monday?  it was prime time).  i remember the camera being close to our players and coach on the sidelines, and mcd looked like he was screaming and telling guys what they needed to do (after missed gaps lead to a longish touchdown).  after that the d stiffened up some and we had a shot late in the game.

 

i think he's done it a few times and what's more i think it lead to pretty immediate positive results. 

 

McDermott has always been involved in the defense. That is different to taking over play calling. He did it once. There is zero substantive evidence that he did it more than once. 

[NewEra]

22 minutes ago, John from Riverside said:

What in your opinion do you think caused them to go from First in QB pressure to 14th?

The losses of Vernon Butler and Mario Addison.  💯 

[JohnBonhamRocks]

6 minutes ago, GunnerBill said:

 

McDermott has always been involved in the defense. That is different to taking over play calling. He did it once. There is zero substantive evidence that he did it more than once. 

Do you know which game was that one time?

[GunnerBill]

2 minutes ago, JohnBonhamRocks said:

Do you know which game was that one time?

 

Chargers at home. Josh's first start. 2018. The game where cornerback quit at halftime. 

[Don Otreply]

Frazier was looking at a reduced role at the very moment that the “Senior Defensive Assistant” idea was being tossed around and then brought on board, and it is a certainty that he wasn’t super pleased about it. Sure they wanted to keep him for his experience, BUT, he wasn’t going to be calling the shots like he had been, and that in his eyes this was a demotion and not acceptable, so he left and the story line that he was “stepping away” for a year/season was put out to in essence cover his leaving the team.  The odds of LF coming back after this upcoming season are in effect nil. The root cause was and still is three consecutive post season exits that came about because of a lack of willingness/capacity to be flexible in his play calling / scheming against the top echelon teams, his regular season success was quite good and not an issue, but more was needed and he was unable to deliver the goods, as is said. And here we are, SM is taking over  LFs former role with the assistance of the above mentioned Senior Defensive assistant. 

[Einstein]

1 hour ago, GunnerBill said:

 

McDermott has always been involved in the defense. That is different to taking over play calling. He did it once. There is zero substantive evidence that he did it more than once. 

 

There is some evidence cd he did it more than once. But it’s true that he only admitted it once.

[Ethan in Cleveland]

Only reason I want McD calling the plays is I no longer want coordinator excuses if they fail. 

For multiple years many on this board have blamed Frazier, Daboll, and now Dorsey for the team not making a SuperBowl. 

I have zero concern about McD calling plays and game management.  He already sucks at challenges so he can't get much worse. He is very very good on 4th down decisions, game clock management, and accepting/declining penalties.  I dont expect anything different.  

[GunnerBill]

22 minutes ago, Einstein said:

 

There is some evidence cd he did it more than once. But it’s true that he only admitted it once.

 

No, there is only conjecture. No substantive evidence. They are different. 

[BillsSbSoon]

1 hour ago, GunnerBill said:

 

Chargers at home. Josh's first start. 2018. The game where cornerback quit at halftime. 

Was that really the only game? I could’ve sworn there was one in 2017 that he took over during the game

[GunnerBill]

3 minutes ago, BillsSbSoon said:

Was that really the only game? I could’ve sworn there was one in 2017 that he took over during the game

 

Nope. Just once. 

[hondo in seattle]

13 hours ago, Doc said:

I have little doubt that they wanted to keep Frazier as a coach, but strip him of play-calling duties.  Hence he left.

 

I am curious why Frazier left.  It is an odd thing... He didn't retire.  He didn't quit.  He wasn't fired.   And, as far as we know, it's not a medical leave of absence nor is he attending to a family issue.  

 

Your theory is an interesting possibility.  

[Dopey]

13 hours ago, Sierra Foothills said:

 

 

 

 

You don't agree with Einstein above... would you agree with Zag below? Would you say that McDermott is on thinner ice than he was one year ago?

 

I think he’s our coach when we play our first game in the new stadium. 

[jethro_tull]

so am I !

[Freddie's Dead]

I'm not liking it at all.  McD's in-game decision making has always been a bit suspect, so I don't like him taking on more responsibilities.  Like the pilots on Air Disasters that crash due to task saturation. 

 

[eball]

There are some who believe McD interjected himself into the "13 seconds" debacle and directly impacted that outcome.  I don't think we'll ever really know, but that feeling is out there for some...

 

Personally, I share the OP's optimism.

[Einstein]

4 hours ago, GunnerBill said:

 

No, there is only conjecture. No substantive evidence. They are different. 

 

If the only evidence you will accept is McDermott admitting it, then yes there is only evidence of 1 game.